MOTHERS & CHILDREN.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 20 December 1913, Page 12

MOTHERS & CHILDREN.

(By Hygeia).

-(Published under the auspices cf the Society for,the' Health of 'Women and Children).

LONDON, October 13. / CHILDREN'S TEETH. (Continued). •Last week I supplied a summary of j «6me of the papers and demonstrations ■ given at the Dental Section of the great International Medical Congress in London by distinguished dental authorities, showing how decayed teeth give .rise to Consumption, Rheumatic Fever, and other grave diseases. I It was agreed on all hands that e\en the fringe of the great national problem of saving the "teeth could rot be -satisfactorily dealt with until a health -conscience was aroused, and observance «f the 6imple .rules of healthy 'iving be- . -comes general, especially in regard to the rearihg of children. What ratJoi'al ' fjad. teeth means is well conveyed m the following Pall Mall Gazette summary of an address to Dr. Sim Wallace, a leading authority on the subject:— " STABTLING FIGURES. DENTAL DISEASES AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

A discussion of far-reaching import-? snee that wsis down 1 for this reining (August 9). was that of the relation of .dental diseases to public health. The exhaustive report that was prepared under; tEis Tieaaingby Dr. J. Sim Wallace, honorary dental surgeon to the Y^est End 'Hospital for nervous diseases, contained startling figures:— Number of teeth decayed. or lost among 40,000,000 inhabitants Jof these islands, between 250,000,000 «nd 500,----€OO,OOO. ..,■;.. Estimating the value of a sound tooth compared with t a diseased one at dBl, the loss to the nation from carious teeth alone is xepresented by hundreds ■of. millions of pounds. Dr. Sim 'Wallace helped us a'so to realise the connection between diseased teeth and other and more serious diseases. / ' .

,(■ 'Dreadful!" he described +he condition thai has been revealed by the inapeetion of/school children's teeth, and, when considered In relation to concomitant and. consequent disease, it fills us, "lie said, with amazement that-ii»ir>edi-ate and strenuous efforts are not. be--ing made to remedy the existing state affairs. •..-;.

The following important short rules for the prevention of decay in teeth -were suggested:— ■

FOr children up to two and. a-balt years of age all starchy or sugary food, except; milk, should be given in a firm or fibrous forYn tb stimulate mastication jand promote the healthy growth of the jaws. Breact J>nd rusEs should .never A be roalred in milk. Bread with crust (and trotter) and toasted bread (and butter) «honld form a considerable part of the meals. V..'..'' .

If .soft, starchy, or sugary fwd has heen eaten, the month and...teeth can t>e cleansed by food 'of "a detergent xiattire. Thus, fresh fruit should bo eaten. «lter milk puddings, bread and- jam,■«tc. ': '■ '■' ■■:■ . ■'■■■• v , ' V . , Three meals, a 1 day are tb be preferred to any greater number, as.the.loneer, "the. interval \ t)ie more hygifenic, is" the. -«tate,6f the mouth and stomach.

STyeets, choooTate, or biscuit a»d "riilk should never be taken between meals or before somg^Eo bed. , ■ Dr. Harold. Williams, an 4'neriTfl-n delegate, described theTnpthod t>yw>»ich ffeston; hones to crtne with the' r^WeVn t*rotigh tt« njinistrations of a r'^ntal fnfirmary w^ipb is now being Iv.iijt at a cost of £SDn;fKK)..'.•-.;■ ■■.".-

The institution will e^oate parents. fmrses,;, and ch'iWren in the imnorfpnce of preservine; t>A- teA+b. »»id fbe best; means-.of "preventing den+al caries. : THE SOCIETY'S RULES. The following rules are taken from the Society's book. "Feeding and Care of "Baby;" the', new edition of which has fust been issued in London by MacmilJan and Company:— : -:- : CABE OF TEETH. Thei ,cir© of th» teeth is of supreme importance, and . the following rules jbhouia be strictly attended to :— l.'Do everything, to maintain good tettlth. (See. "What Every Baby Needsi": page^ 1;) Teeth are built out . /4)f:iaciod.;;:;./_,_./;-... ,■■" /•'.,..';.■■.] v-.. ,;- A nsu^ BP°d v?o)uidy^ell-enam^; «lled, vlastangL^eeth, th#food arid the means of feeding must be such as to «ompel ample exercise for mouth and 3*WB throughout babyhood and Jkoqd. "Bring up a child in iK e w*j he

should go, and when he is old he will not depait from it." The habit of slow chewing once firmly established will tend to be maintained for life.

3. The composition.of the food must be suitable—that is, adapted to the per* feet building up of the structures of the body. ' 4. Avoid the use cf long-tube feeder and dummy, and make sure that baby "works for his luring." 5. Give baby a bone to munch from six months onwards. This serves, to promote the development and growth of the jaws and teeth, and helps the eruption of the latter. After nine months give tough crusts, toast, etc. In the second year and onwards a fair proportion of the food should be dry, firm, hard, or tough—e.g., crusts, crispedbread, toast, and raw, ripe apple. (See "The Apple.Rule," page 143.) Later when the child has been trained to masticate thoroughly), oat-cake, etc., may be given. (See "Far-reaching Effects. of Masticatory Exercise," page 146). The exercise develops the jaws and teeth,'' and thus tends to prevent decay, overcrowding, and irregularity. 6. Teach baby to chew his food vigorously and thoroughly, taking sufficient time over his meals. Don't allow him to bolt any of his food, whether solid or liquid, but, on the other hand, don't encourage mere dwelling. At the end of a well-chewed meal the jaws should be comfortably, tired, the flow of saliva should be ceasing, and there should be^a feeling of healthy satisfaction. . This constitutes the normal check against overrating, and -ensures the highest nutritive results from the food taken, while at the same time developing jaws and teeth for future work, 7.. Hard or tough food, if well chewed helps to make good teeth and to keep them sound; it also helps to cleanse them. , This applies especially to raw ripe apple, and to all kinds of firm, fibrous fruits, and vegetables.

8 Soft foods cling tb the teeth and tend to cause.decay; therefore cakes, sweets ordinary biscuits, chocolates, etc., should be avoided habitually and should on no. account be given at bed- ,™% All--decay commences on the <n.tw»e of the teeth, never from within • it starts-in crevices in the crowns, or between two teeth. <u9iw- TH is not primarily for "fW >ut, is a "masticatory organ "and should do,a large prooortion or the work m eating—squeezing i;he moistened food out between tbe te*.£ and forcibly crushing it against th e Kl,arOD^ ed ■ roof the ■ mouth ESrt^ ' i* I s. ?™ cticanj a kind of S t Ut K\> tf-P«»Paly exercised

brushed Should a^ays be miS? ? and rooming, all t*e first ot seingseing careful1 * cleansed The Jrst, or temporary, teeth, as well as ?av °T^ful^' watched for signs of detaken £ +fc y •' .the child sKo"l* taken to the dentist periodically if pos-